Dorset, the holders of the NV Play National Counties Trophy, are facing the prospect of early elimination from this season’s competition.

Having opened their title defence with a comfortable victory over Cornwall two weeks ago, Dorset suffered back-to-back defeats against Wales NC and Oxfordshire over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend.

They now head to Tring on Sunday to face Buckinghamshire in their final Group Four match needing a victory to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals.

Even a win might not be enough for Dorset who will have to watch from afar when the final round of group matches is played on May 17 as every other team in Group Four has also won at least once.

Dorset have included two debutants in their 12-man squad, Bournemouth seamer Josiah Edy and Bashley Rydal off-spinner Cam Basey.

Buckinghamshire, unbeaten after two matches, again have contracted Northamptonshire batter Aadi Sharma available.

Former Surrey batter Sheridon Gumbs is set for his seasonal debut along with Ryan Friend and Tom Weymes.

Cornwall will be captained by all-rounder Will MacVicar for their Group Four match against Oxfordshire at St Just.

MacVicar takes over from Paul Smith who led Cornwall to victory over Wales NC in a low-scoring contest on Monday but is unavailable this week.

Batter/off-spinner Alfie MacDonald and all-rounder Jake Rowe return to the side.

Oxfordshire travel with a side that shows four changes to the one which beat Dorset by one wicket on Monday with Luke Hayes, Amogh Karpe, Ahmed Khan and Henry Welch called up for their first appearances of the season.

Only Cheshire have so far secured a quarter-final place but Cumbria will become the second from Group  One if they beat Cambridgeshire at Exning.

Cumbria give debuts to two 18-year-old batters, Samson Storey from Furness and Faizan Ghumman who is on Durham’s academy.

Suffolk and Shropshire’s hopes of progressing are already slim and will be extinguished completely if Cumbria beat Cambridgeshire. Whoever losers at Sudbury will be eliminated irrespective of the result at Exning.

Suffolk and Shropshire have each made five changes from last weekend.

Suffolk welcome back former Essex batter Feroze Khushi, batter Alex Oxley and Dan Shanks, who completed the London Marathon two weeks ago.

James Bridges, who made his debut in the defeat by Cheshire on Sunday, returns having missed Monday’s loss against Cumbria due to exam commitments.

Shropshire give a debut to former Derbyshire Academy leg-spinner Harris Ajaz and recall batters Joe Johnson and Seb Scott and seamer Calrk Haddrell.

Seamer George McCormick is set for his seasonal debut having impressed in his breakthrough campaign last year.

Something must give in Group Two where Lincolnshire and Norfolk, the two unbeaten counties, meet at Woodhall Spa.

Lincolnshire give a debut to batter/wicketkeeper Finn Brookes and there is a Trophy debut for batter Freddie Gosnell, who played in two T20 matches last season.

Scunthorpe Town batter George Drewery features in a county side for the first time in three years.

Northumberland host Staffordshire at Jesmond in their final Group Two match needing a win to have any hope of making the quarter-finals.

Durham batter Haydon Mustard is available to Northumberland for the first time this season and Gateshead Fell all-rounder Robbie Dawson will make his county debut.

Staffordshire travel without the unavailable Sam Keeling-Wright and Reeve Evitts, who played a key part in Monday’s victory over Bedfordshire.

Former Leicestershire and Lancashire pace bowler Liam Hurt comes in for his seasonal debut and off-spinner Joe Hawkins, who is contracted to Derbyshire, returns to the squad.

All five counties in Group Three go into the weekend with a mathematical chance of reaching the quarter-finals but that will be reduced to four if Herefordshire lose their last group match against Berkshire at Wargrave.

Herefordshire have made five changes to the side that beat Hertfordshire at Brockhampton on Monday including the return of experienced former Worcestershire and Leicestershire all-rounder George Rhodes.

Opening batter Hasan Mahmood, batters Ollie Langford and Sam Clements and off-spinner Ciaran Baker-Smith also return in place of Taylor Cornall, Ollie Rogoff, Jeet Varaich, Roshan Venkataraman and Seth Essenigh.

Berkshire are expected to give a debut to slow left-armer Nilesh Bhandari, who is on Middlesex’s academy.

Wiltshire, who banked back-to-back wins last weekend, head to Welwyn Garden City to face Hertfordshire who need a win to maintain their interest in the competition.

There are two potential debutants in Hertfordshire’s 13-man squad in Broxbourne pace bowler Ed Hales and off-spinner Nav Dwivedi, who has plenty of Second XI experience with Essex.

Wiltshire have named an unchanged squad following their back-to-back victories over Herefordshire and Devon.

NV Play National Counties Trophy

Sunday May 10 (11am)

Group One

Cambridgeshire v Cumbria (Exning), Suffolk v Shropshire (Sudbury).

Group Two

Northumberland v Staffordshire (Jesmond), Lincolnshire v Norfolk (Woodhall Spa).

Group Three

Hertfordshire v Wiltshire (Welwyn Garden City), Berkshire v Herefordshire (Wargrave).

Group Four

Buckinghamshire v Dorset (Tring), Cornwall v Oxfordshire (St Just).